Top 10 Worst Truck Trends That Drive Us Insane!

Just. The Worst.

We love trucks and they're arguably just getting better and better. Or are they? They are certainly better for the environment than ever before. They have higher tow ratings than ever before. Trucks today are safer than ever before. That is all great. But not everything is a step forward. In some cases, these advancements come at a cost. For example, diesel engines may be cleaner than ever before. But they're also more complex, expensive, and more difficult to maintain than ever before.

In that spirit, we've identified a list of the 10 worst truck trends that we're seeing and suffering through in 2026. Will any of these ever be reversed? That's hard to say for certain, but our guess is no. We are likely stuck with these trends moving forward. But there's always hope. And maybe you don’t even think of these trends as negatives, as we do. Let us know what you think.

1. Rising Prices

You might not agree with everything on our list, but we think that you'll all agree with this one. Trucks are getting expensive. Sure, a base Maverick is less than $30K, but 1) it was supposed to start at $20K AND nobody buys a no-option Maverick. And to be fair, we could also complain about the Raptor R on the higher end, but that's obviously a unicorn specialty truck. No, the reason issues is that a regular F-150 XLT with a few options is a $60,000 truck. That's 5-Series BMW money. And it's not hard to spend $100K+ on a Super Duty. Again, these are great trucks, but my goodness, they are pricey.

2. Overly Complex Technology

One reason why some people love the older trucks is their simplicity. Sure, Pro Trailer backup assist can be helpful, but a lot of folks don’t need it. And that's just one example. Ford trucks are packed with technology today. New trucks have as many electronics in them as German luxury sedans. This adds weight, cost, and complexity. Sure, the tech is great when it is working, but what happens when it doesn’t? (You get millions and millions and millions of recalls, that's what.)

3. Shorter Bed Takeover

Trucks themselves aren't getting shorter. But we've traded bed length for interior seating volume. And, as such, more and more trucks are coming with shorter beds. Some folks in more urban areas may love this as it is easier to maneuver a shorter bed truck. But the whole purpose of a truck is the bed. And getting a truck with a longer bed is getting difficult. Do you want a new F-150 with an 8-foot bed? You have one option: a regular cab XL F-150. That’s it. Other F-150 models come with five and a half or six and a half foot beds.

4. Quality Control / Recalls

As we were saying about that overly complex technology. Last year, Ford issued over 150 recalls. That is the most recalls in history. One of the largest had to do with rearview camera displays. Again, having technology is great, but Ford has to make it reliable. This lack of quality control is not a good trend. And it is a trend because 2026 is not off to a good start for Ford either. We are only in early March, and already there have been about 17 recall campaigns. This needs to be better.

5. Confusing Trim Levels

It's great to have options when buying a new truck. But sometimes we can get too much of a good thing. Even within specific trim levels, there are package upgrades like the Platinum Plus package within the Platinum trim level. What is the difference between an STX and an XLT? Is the King Ranch better than the Platinum? If you are a new truck buyer, there's a lot of information to sort through before you can determine what truck is really the right one for you.

6. Size and Weight Creep

Trucks are getting bigger and heavier. That might not sound like a big deal for a truck, after all, these are not sports cars. But bigger and heavier trucks are not always better. Bigger and heavier means more wear and tear on components like tires and brakes. Bigger trucks are also more difficult to park and maneuver. They are tougher to get in and out of. We don’t need our trucks to get any bigger and heavier than they already are. 

7. Performance Trucks With No Added Performance

We love a good street performance truck. The first two generations of the F-150 Lightning remain among our favorite trucks ever. But Ford recently came out with the Lobo models for the Maverick and F-150. They look good, and they sit lower and may handle a touch better. But there is no power bump at all. We want some power to go along with the more aggressive looks.

8. Software Subscriptions

This is a troubling trend in the entire automotive industry. Automakers are moving to paid subscription models in order to unlock some key features. Which is insulting to the consumer who just spent an insane amount of money on a new ride, and some features are still locked behind a paywall. Ford BlueCruise is a great feature. But it's $495 a year or $49.99 a month. Or you can buy the feature, but that's an extra $2,495 and is only guaranteed for seven years (after that, who knows?). We don't want to see this model expanding to things like heated seats and cruise control. We already have enough subscriptions to manage in our lives. 

9. Availability of Desirable Models

Ford doesn’t build enough of the most desirable models. That kick ass F-150 Raptor R we mentioned earlier starts out at $114,420 and it's basically the most insane and gleefully gluttonous truck you could ever drive on or off road. But it's impossible to get one, so dealers tack on thousands of dollars on top of the sticker price. Unfortunately, people out there buy the trucks at inflated prices, so dealers are going to keep doing it. And you can repeat this problem with every cool model -- car, truck, or SUV -- that Ford's made over the last decade or so. 

We wish Ford would just build enough of their most desirable models to satisfy demand. MSRP is expensive enough; don’t let dealers add on top of it.

10. Lower Payload Capacity

You might think that trucks get more capable every year, but that's not always the case. For example, the 2024 F-150 models saw a reduction in both towing and payload capacities compared to the 2023 models. This is largely due to increased weight, yet another reason why weight is bad. The 36-gallon fuel tank became standard in nearly every F-150. Which sounds great at first, until you realize that your truck is now less capable than before. We don’t want to see our trucks regress when it comes to payload capacity.